WATCH: Super Bowl-Winning Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Praises Donald Trump

Patriots owner and Superbowl LI winner Robert Kraft offered kind words for President Donald Trump ahead of the game, praising the leader as a long-standing friend of his.

“He’s been great to me over these past two decades,” he said on Fox News over the weekend, saying that he attended Trump’s inauguration and his last wedding to Melania Trump.

He also praised the president for looking after him and being in touch after Kraft’s wife died six years ago of ovarian cancer. “He called me once a week for a year,” he said. “I’m loyal to my friends. I remember who are the people there for the tough times.”

Kraft’s Patriots won the Super Bowl on Sunday night after a come-from-behind win that was vaguely reminiscent of Trump’s own election victory. Despite the National Football League’s best efforts to keep the sporting event a non-partisan red, white, black and blue, politics entered into the game, with many rooting against the Patriots — and for them — due to quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick and owner Kraft’s allegiance to Trump.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon